A Pastor in The Northwest

A week before Jesus' final Passover meal shared with His friends and followers, he was eating a meal with his friend Lazarus in Bethany. His sisters were Mary and Martha as you might already know. One of them, Mary, did something extravagant and maybe a little scandalous (thanks to John for recording her name in John 12). What was it? Mary took some expensive perfume (like a year's salary worth!) and poured it on Jesus' feet (and likely His head) and then wiped His feet with her hair - whoa! This was recorded by Matthew (26) and Mark (14) as well - why? I'm sure it was a story too powerful for them not to share, right? Not everyone was happy - typical. No good deed goes...well, you know... Anyway, Mary's work of love and devotion to Jesus is awe-inspiring and well, just plain extravagant! She sacrifices clearly one of her most precious possessions and uses her hair, another of her special possessions to do something BIG for Messiah Jesus, Her Lord. Then, in just a...

Last week I did a thing...I said the invocation to open an Oregon Senate Legislative Session. Cool right? I'd never done anything like that before and it was fascinating. One of the senator's admins reached out to me a month ago and I said I'd be honored to pray and submitted my prayer which had to be 2 minutes or less. I think it ended up being about a minute and a half. Truth be told I was a little nervous. Would you be? The session, so I was told, was to start promptly at 11am. So I stood up when signaled, and, well, as it turns out, senators are not on time (just like us church folks)! Why did I agree to do this? Well, beyond just curiosity, I also wanted to honor Paul's call for the church recorded in 1 Timothy 2:1-3: ...I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is ple...